Royals Rumblings - News for October 2, 2017

Royals Rumblings - News for October 2, 2017

Sam Mellinger sums up the feeling of yesterday’s finale.

That’s why this has felt a lot like graduation week. Fans brought goodbye signs. The players packed their stuff into boxes, and made plans for the offseason.

On Sunday, each free agent took a standing ovation. The hitters lifted their helmets and looked around at all the love. Hosmer pounded his heart with his bat, then hit a home run down the left-field line. Moustakas was up next, and later said he had tears in his eyes the entire at-bat.

“I had shades on all day for a reason,” Moustakas said. “I was a wreck.”

Jason Vargas was realistic about the future of this club.

“Everybody wants things to work out in the perfect fashion,” said Vargas, a 34-year-old free agent who has been a free agent before. “But they usually don’t. It’s like family getting broken up and having to go make their own way.”

This is the cold, hard truth of free agency. A player must find what is best for him and his family. An organization must look out for itself. As he sat between Escobar and Moustakas, Hosmer pondered what the next few months would feel like.

“I don’t want to say it’s scary,” he said. “It’s just different.”

Alcides Escobar talks about growing up with Ned Yost.

“When I first got here, one day he called me to his office. I was worried about being demoted,” Escobar said. “He said, ‘Don’t worry. Don’t think about Class AAA. Don’t think about anything. You’re going to play shortstop no matter what happens, hit or no hit.’ That motivated me and from that moment forward, things changed.”

Rustin Dodd has a nice piece on the understated Lorenzo Cain.

“I’ve been here only six years,” he said. “But I feel like I’ve been a Royal all my life.”

Cain will be a free agent this winter. He will be 32 in April. His age will complicate his path back. The Royals will be hesitant to invest significant long-term dollars in an outfielder on the wrong side of 30. Cain has long understood the reality.

“They all know where I stand as far as coming back to KC,” Cain said. “They know I would love to come back here. I said it in the spring, and I’ll say it again now. But at the same time, everyone has to do what’s best for themselves. No one knows what’s going to happen.”

Jon Heyman considers if the Royals will retain Cain.

They don’t seem especially hopeful they’d be able to keep Lorenzo Cain, figuring he could get four years (or more) on the open market. The Rangers, Dodgers, Mariners and Giants are among teams that could make sense for him.

Lee Judge has a really good piece on some Mike Moustakas stories you may not know.

Maria Torres talks to the man behind “Sluggerrr.”

Best wishes to Don Free, the producer of Royals games on radio for 32 years, on his retirement.

Here is your MLB playoff field.

The World Series MVP Award will be named after Willie Mays, which made some people upset.

Andrew Romine played all nine positions for the Tigers on Saturday.

Detroit is interviewing in-house candidates for their manager position.

Giancarlo Stanton wants no part of a rebuild.

The Cardinals have missed the playoffs two years in a row, so what’s next for them?

Buster Olney looks at NL MVP candidates.

The Ringer hands out some awards.

Vida Blue thinks Buck O’Neil belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Barcelona plays in an empty stadium due to unrest following a vote on Catalonian independence.

Troy University got paid a lot of money to beat LSU on homecoming.

Online thieves may be exploiting the Equifax breach.

Marilyn Manson was injured by a prop that fell on him during a performance.

What it’s really like to be an extra in Hollywood.

Your song of the day is Jeff Buckley with Last Goodbye.